Mail box



March 5, 1940. M, LAU 2,192,445

MAIL BOX Filed May 26, 1939 Patented Mar. 5, 1940,

UNITED STATES PATENT A OFFICE 2,192,445 MAIL BdX Martin Lau, Randolph, Minn.

Application May 26, 1939, Serial No. 275,906

2 Claims.

My invention has for its primary object the provision of a simple and efiicient mail receiving box such as would be especially serviceable for use in reception of mail in rural districts either for delivery to the local owner or mail to be picked up by the ruralcarrier. However, the box is adapted for various analogous uses or generally for the reception of articles.

Generally stated the invention consists of the novel devices, combination of devices and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

More specifically stated-the box inits preferred form includes upper and lower box sections supported from a standard and hingedly connected for self closing action under the action of gravity.

The arrangement is such that under the action of gravity the box sections will be moved together thereby closing the box and protecting the contents from rain and the weather. By self closing is meant the tendency to close under normal conditions and unrestrained. However, latch means may be provided for temporarily holding the box open for the reception or removal of the mail or other articles.

,The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing where-- in like characters indicate like parts throughou the several views.

'tion 8 and an inverted upper box section 9.

showing a portion of the post and yoke of the standard; and

Fig. 5 is a detail with parts sectioned on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The standard shown is made up of a post 6 and a yoke-like extension 1 secured to said post and projecting upwardly therefrom. The post and the yoke may be rigidly connected either by being integrally formed or otherwise.

Working within the yoke 1 is a lower box sec- The box section 8, relatively near its rear end and at the rear end of its center of gravity, is pivotally connected to the yoke, preferably. by trunnions I 0 on said box section that work through holes in the yoke. The box sections 8 and 9 are preferably of the same marginal contour so that they will closely fit together when the box is closed.

At their abutting rear ends the box sections 8 and 9 are pivotally connected preferably by hinges II. A link I2is pivotally connected at its rear end to the top of the yoke has shown, by means of a lug i3, and at its free front end said link is pivotally connected to the front end of the upper box section 9, as shown, by means of a lug l4 applied to the top of said box section.

The lower box section is shown as provided with a projectinghand piece l5 by means'of which its relatively long front end portion may be depressed, thereby opening the box as shown in Fig. 2. However, it-is highly important to note that with thebox section 9 hung on the link I2, its entire weight will be exerted downward and rearward on the rear end of lower box section 8 through the hinges I l or like pivotal connection, thereby normally holding the box closed as shown in Fig. 1 under the action of gravity. The weight of the rear end of box section 8 plus the entire weight of upper box section 9 will be much greater than that of the front end portion of said lower box section so that'the said automatic closing action will be produced whenever the box sections are released.

It-is sometimes desirable to provide a latch means for temporarily holding the box open as shown in Fig. 2; and. for the above purpose I have,

shown the bottom of the lower box section 8 as provided with a light spring latch bar 16 that co-operates with a latch lug I1 secured on the upper end of the post at the bottom of the yoke 1. This latch bar I6 is formed with a pocket I8 that is engageable with the upper end of the latch lug I! when the box is opened as shown by full lines in Fig. 2. To make the latch lug ll adjustable, it is mounted in a groove I9 formed in the top of the post 6 and is adapted to be rigidly but adjustably secured as set by a nut-equipped bolt 2% that works through saidpost and through a slot 2| in said latch lug l1. With the latch provided as shown, it is only necessary to slightly press upward on the hand piece or projection l5 so as to release the latch bar from the said latch lug and thereupon, under the action of gravity, the box will be closed and the parts will assume the position shown in Fig. 1.

What I claim is:

1. A box structure of the kind described involving a standard and upper and lowerbox sections hingedly connected at their rear ends, said standard being extended above and clear of the upper box section, said lower box section being pivoted to said standard at a point between its top and bottom and between its front and rear ends, and a link pivotally connected to the upper portion of said standard and to the front end of said upper 5 box section and extended above the latter.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said standard is in the form of a yoke, the top of which extends over the upper box section and to the crown of which said link is pivotally connected, said lower box section being pivotally connected to both sides of said standard.

MARTIN LAU. 

